Frankenstein: Letters 1-4 - 1 Primary Blog Post and 2 Secondary Responses

11/3/2017

These images could depict some of the main plot points of Chapters 1-4 illustrating some main events in young Victor's life and development: his idyllic childhood and introduction to Elizabeth Lavenza, his mother's death, and his entrance into university. While these are moments are important, they are by no means the only significant points in these four chapters.

After having read these chapters, select a single passage (this may be a single paragraph or several) that you feel best typifies the action and Shelley's authorial intent in this section of Frankenstein. Explain the action and context of the quoted passage (you must cite the passage) and then explain how your understanding of this passage supports your understanding, deepens the character development, and/or builds a central message that aligns with one of the unit's essential questions.

Primary Blog Expectations (respond to the prompt above): 200-250 words, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the scientists's name that you selected in class as your nom de plume and be sure to add word count. Due by 11:59pm on Friday, November 3rd!

Secondary Blog Response Expectations (read everyone's primary responses, select two that interest you, and respond to their ideas): 100-150 words EACH, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the scientists's name that you selected in class as your nom de plume and be sure to add word count. Due by the start of class on Monday, November 6th!

Thereza Dilwyn Llewelyn

11/3/2017 10:31:51 am

"I have a pretty present for my Victor--to-morrow he shall have it." And when, on the morrow, she presented Elizabeth to me as her promised gift, I, with childish seriousness, interpreted her words literally, and looked upon Elizabeth as mine--mine to protect, love and cherish. All praises bestowed on her, I received as made to a possession of my own. We called each other familiarly by the name of cousin. No word, no expression could body forth the relation in which she stood to me--my more than sister, since till death she was to be mine only" (Shelley 31).
This quote shows me how Victor Frankenstein likes to defy the laws of nature. We see here that the doctor has an unnatural infatuation with his sister. Even though she was adopted, it is still inappropriate for him to fall in love with his sister. This almost seems to foreshadow his attempts at playing God. It would be considered against the laws of nature to reanimate a dead body, just as it would be against these laws to have a romantic relationship with your sister. He has this delusion that because he is a godlike figure, the standard rules of society do not apply to him. Consider that he is willing to exhume dead people from their graves in order to make his creation; or consider his willingness to use the black market to get the necessary organs to make the creature. Only a self-deluded person would be willing to do this.
This initial lesson from his parents may be the reason that the whole novel occurred. If they hadn't accidentally presented him with his sister as a gift he would never have believed that he could perform tabooed actions. This event sparked his interest into the world of physical science which contains the terrifying field of reanimation. This one crucial event begins the major plot of the novel, essentially turning Frankenstein into the mad scientist that he is.

Hannah Longshore

11/5/2017 07:57:29 pm

I like your idea on how Victor likes to defy the laws of nature. It surprises me on how Victor is ready to marry his sister, even though she’s adopted, but I also agree that this may foreshadow his role as acting as a God. I am interested in your idea where you say “It would be considered against the laws of nature to reanimate a dead body, just as it would be against these laws to have a romantic relationship with your sister”. I really like this analogy because it can help a reader understand your point a lot better. Also, your point about the parents being a reason for the novel can be argued, however I do feel that Elizabeth plays a huge role in this novel.

Katherine Marray Lyell

11/5/2017 09:10:37 pm

I completely agree with your response, since it is unacceptable for someone to fall in love with their own sister, even if she is adopted. In this situation, Victor thins his adoptive sister belongs to him and to nobody else, he sees her as a present. It looks like Victor is determine to make his own rules and like you stated, " he is a godlike figure, the standard rules of society do not apply to him". From simply going against family morals, he began to escalate and eventually decided to go against the laws of nature.

Olga Fedchenko

11/6/2017 10:24:29 am

I really enjoyed reading this response- the idea that Victor's odd relationship with his sister is foreshadowing his role in "playing god" struck me as both insanely obvious yet completely hidden- as I didn't pay attention to that- to be done by Shelley. The conclusion that this excerpt showed "how victor Frankenstein likes to defy the laws of nature" was very well-worded; I cannot think of a better way to describe this quote- by oddly caring for his sister and later playing the role of God in attempting to create a new life from the dead, Victor really doesn't like to comply to the average societal rules followed by the people around him.

Z'Sofia Torma

11/26/2017 01:55:05 pm

You worded beautifully how Victor feels about nature and science. By saying he likes to "defy the laws of nature" it explains perfectly why Victor ended up creating the creature and his motives behind doing so. When I read the passages, I was very puzzled as to why he decided to do something that seemed frivolous but I believe that you have really hit the nail on the head. I do not agree, however, that Victor falling in love with his sister has anything to do with him "playing God". Victor was pushed towards Elizabeth with full force, not even really given a choice on whether or not to fall in love with her. Even though he ended up very happy being with Elizabeth, it was still not truly his decision to fall in love with her.

Jantina Tammes

11/3/2017 10:38:58 am

“It is even possible that the train of my ideas would never have received the fatal impulse that led to my ruin. But the cursory glance my father had taken of my volume by no means assured me that he was acquainted with its contents; and I continued to read with the greatest avidity” (Shelley 34-35).

In this passage, Victor Frankenstein recalls a moment of his childhood where he came across a book of “science”, that greatly interested him. When presented to his father, the book is cast aside, sparking Victor’s curiosity even more. He ends up being really passionate of the book’s teachings. This quote shows me this essential beginning of what happened to be Frankenstein’s obsessions: with the dead, and the science of life. I believe it’s important because it shows us just how his childhood has influenced his later actions in life with the creation of the creature. Mary Shelley used this because it gives us some insight how on things went wrong for him early, and because of this he took a misleading road the rest of his life. He was exposed to a debauched book of science early in life and praised it, which could possibly lend a hand to his later character development.

This passage is where it all starts, where he starts to go on the dark road that he recently found himself on as he tells this story, and I believe it’s because of this simple moment that everything goes wrong from here.

11/5/2017 08:06:40 pm

I found this post interesting because it is a proven fact that what you learn from your childhood can greatly influence your future. Because Victor was so fascinated with science as a kid, he ended up using his earlier findings and using them as an adult. Frankenstein’s fascination with dead bodies and science as a kid my be the best reason for the monster he later creates. It is also interesting on how you speak of Mary Shelley and why you think she decided to share this in the novel. I also believe that Victor’s past for the love of science creates some insight on how things went wrong in his earlier life, and he therefore took the road he wanted throughout the rest of his life.

11/5/2017 08:49:34 pm

I like your idea of Victor's exposure to science at such a young age could have impacted the way he view human life and his determination to continue learning more about it. It seems to me that it all started after reading this science book. A boy his age shouldn't be reading "conflicting" science book; not because he is just child, but because he isn't ready for it. In my opinion, before learning about science, one should be mentally prepare because it could change how we view the world, humans, etc. I completely agree with this statement, " I believe it’s because of this simple moment that everything goes wrong from here". By simply reading a science book, Victor's development as a person was clearly impacted.

Ella Church Strobell

11/5/2017 09:00:54 pm

I also agree on the fact how the book influenced his later actions of creating the creature at an early age. It's amazing how one moment of his life foreshadowed the start of his odd yet dark path at such a young age. In my opinion, this is the most important event of the first chapters so far, given the information of his past to give an overall back story to determine how he ended up the way he is.

Mary Treat

11/5/2017 10:40:51 pm

This was definitely an important part of Frankenstein's life, with his motivation for toiling all those nights building his creation stemming from him having been exposed to the pseudoscience presented by long-dead philosophers. However, the scenes where he describes himself as being powerless to change fate due to him reading the book could be seen as Shelley herself stating her worldview to the reader. It is a pretty big component of his character, being one of the very first things we learn about him and based on how often he brings the subject up. A man of his intellect wouldn’t easily have kept that belief around unless he felt it was important, so Shelley could just trying to show how even the exceptional don’t truly have a handle in their own fate.

11/26/2017 02:11:11 pm

I completely agree with the fact that the quote chosen truly shows the beginning of it all. Because of how abnormal Victor's outlooks and actions are, this starting point is truly essential to understanding the depth and complicatedness of his character. Upon first reading the beginning of the book my first reaction was just confusion. The fact that Victor found it necessary to do something so radical and frivolous was a complete mystery to me. This quote begins to shed light on why Victor created the creature.

11/3/2017 10:40:45 am

“No human being could have passed a happier childhood than myself… My temper was sometimes violent, and my passions vehement; but by some law in my temperature they were turned, not towards childish pursuits, but to an eager desire to learn” (Shelley 33).

In the first four chapters of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the character development of both Victor and his family and friends – as well as evident foreshadowing to his future - is completed through reminisces of his childhood – first a beautiful and adventurous one, then a recollection of suffering, sadness, and an odd curiosity in the science behind the differences in the living and dead. The above quote captures two paragraphs in the first chapter having to do with Victor’s take on his early childhood where he claims first that his childhood was “possessed by the very spirit of kindness and indulgence” (Shelley 33). However, this is immediately followed by the tone change into a confession-style passage about his socially awkward, intelligent, and sometimes angry temperament where Victor remarks “My temper was sometimes violent, and my passions vehement” (Shelley 33). I feel the purpose of these opposing starting sentences of the near paragraphs was purposeful both literally and symbolically by Shelley. In a literal take, the unexpected change in tone from Victor’s happy-to-sad mood change shows readers that his mind is quick-paced and able to recognize both the positives and negatives of his own actions and those around him; this supports Shelley’s intent to characterize and foreshadow Victor’s future actions. Symbolically, these opposing sentences foreshadow the chain of events to follow Victor’s childhood; by cutting with no transition from a peaceful take to a judgmental and sorrowful opinion, Shelley effectively warns readers that Victor’s life was the same way – first a dream, then somewhat of a “Lifetime” movie nightmare.

11/5/2017 07:53:13 am

This is an interesting take. It is interesting the rapid tone changes that take place throughout the first four chapters. I wonder though, could these quick emotional changes also be a reference to Victor's intelligence, showing that he is one of the smartest people on Earth. I also think of God when I see the part about Victor's temper. Did God not, in an attempt to cure the world of evil, destroy all but a select few people. In the Old Testament he even killed the firstborn of every man in Egypt who did not put blood over their doorstep. I think this temper of his may be a sign of how he will play God and how he sees himself as Godlike.

11/3/2017 08:54:43 pm

“It was thus that I was able to be taught to associate evil with their prosecution, happiness with their disregard. It was a strong effort of the spirit of good; but it was ineffectual. Destiny was too potent, and her immutable laws had decreed my utter and terrible destruction” (Shelley 37).

In these chapters, Shelley has Frankenstein talk about his childhood and his ensuing decisions that would eventually inspire him to build his creation later on. Something of note that Frankenstein keeps mentioning throughout his time in the story is his insistence that his destiny was sealed since the very beginning of his life. This element could be seen as the author voicing her own beliefs in life through Frankenstein himself. Here, he specifically recounts a moment where a philosopher presents a theory concerning modern science that shatters his obsession with the philosophers of old he was so keen on learning from. This leads to his refuge into the study of mathematics, which he believes is “built upon secure foundations” compared to his previous subject matter. However, he later returns to his obsession, disillusioned with (as he sees it) mankind’s lackluster progress on unraveling the secrets of the world, preferring the grand and unrealistic theories spewed by his ancient set of philosophers to the reality set forth by modern scientists. No matter how much he tries to deviate from those old theories, he always winds up going back to those old teachings, and eventually flat-out gives into his plans to crack open the secret of life using his alternative to modern science. Again, one could see as the author saying how she views the world, given how strongly Frankenstein fails to break out of what he feels is his predetermined destiny (he mentions it before he tells his tale to the Captain as well, saying how trying to change his fate would be an effort in futility).

11/5/2017 09:50:53 pm

I agree with you connecting Victor going back to his old ways and the input of Destiny. I never thought of it that way, that because he so strongly believed in Destiny and the workings of life & death that he so easily gave into his desires. I do think this is Mary Shelley speaking through the book hear, because maybe with her not having such a charmed life and having an affair with Percy, this is how she saw the world. "This is how it's meant to be so I can't fight it" sort of mentality, and I think it's really great that you brought that up. I find it intresting how Victor also wabts to focus on the more fanciful part of science, instead of his modern day findings.

Elizabeth Lomax

11/6/2017 07:00:02 am

I find it interesting how you stated that Frankenstein failed to break out of his “predetermined destiny” because I honestly hadn’t thought of it in this way. It is true that he did mention that his destiny was basically sealed since the beginning of his life, but in reading the chapters where he narrated details about his childhood, I assumed that he had been referring to his aspirations as his destiny, not his actions. When I read the part of your response mentioning how he eventually goes back to old teachings despite the fact that he tried to deviate from them, I realized that this characteristic was actually evident in Frankenstein and could potentially be a significant character quality in the book.

11/3/2017 10:30:44 pm

“My departure was therefore fixed at any early date; but before the day resolved upon could arrive, the first misfortune of my life occurred—an omen, as it were, of my future misery. Elizabeth had caught the scarlet fever; her illness was severe, and she was in the greatest danger. During her illness many arguments had been urged to persuade my mother to refrain from attending upon her. She had at first yielded to our entreaties, but when she heard that the life of her favourite was menaced, she could no longer control her anxiety. She attended her sickbed; her watchful attentions triumphed over the malignity of the distemper—Elizabeth was saved, but the consequences of this imprudence were fatal to her preserver” (Shelley 38).

As soon as chapter three kind of starts off, it mentions Frankenstein’s soon to be wife, Elizabeth, and also his mother Caroline. It speaks about how Elizabeth ended up catching “scarlet fever”, and Frankenstein’s mother ended up catching it while nursing her back to life; however, in doing so, she sadly ends up passing away.After this horrible time for Victor, things went downhill, and on her deathbed she told Elizabeth and her son she wanted them to get married. But, a few weeks after his mother’s death, he went to Ingolstadt University. It can be seen that Caroline died because she loves Elizabeth so much, she was willing to take care of her during her time of getting through a major sickness. Caroline’s death can be perceived as foreshadowing towards a future character, or even a sign of something positive or negative that may occur. The death of his mother is more than just a sad occurrence for him and his family, but it signifies something a lot stronger. The underlying importance of the death can be perceived that family may be seen as fatal, or even relationships in general. Therefore saying, you never know when someone may leave your life, so it’s important to be as grateful as possible.

Jantine Tammes

11/5/2017 09:54:55 pm

I agree with you in the whole family aspect of this quote, and the foreshadowing of what might come in the future. Your analysis also got me to think that maybe Caroline's sacrificing herself for someone she loved and cared for could possibly mirror a decision Victor might have to make later with the creature. I think it's interesting how you brought up Victor/Elizabeth's relationship, because I think she might have a major role to play when it comes to him falling down a dark path in life. He frequently calls her a "light", so we'll see how she'll help him later on.

11/6/2017 07:16:25 am

I strongly agree with your statement that Caroline’s death was a significant event in Frankenstein’s life, and it undoubtedly affected him in a powerful way. It’s interesting to note how, after Caroline’s death, Frankenstein becomes so absorbed in his work, almost as if doing so was a type of coping mechanism for him to get over his grief. As you said in your response, the death of his mother was not just simply a sad event taking place—it was almost like a psychological trigger for Frankenstein. He throws himself into his studies and becomes so obsessed with it that he also began to neglect other important aspects of his life, making his work his priority.

11/6/2017 10:29:19 am

I agree with the idea you have that Victor's mother's death was extremely symbolic and held undertones of many concepts, though I feel the strongest is the idea of predetermination being un-upheld. Victor always thought his mother would be there for a majority of his lifetime, and learning that she didn't probably was the beginning of his interest in why death occurred when, as well as how to prevent it. I feel Victor's take on her death was more of wonder as to why it occurred, rather than a realization of cherishing the ones we love.

11/3/2017 10:49:01 pm

"So much has been done, exclaimed the soul of Frankenstein-more, far more, will I achieve: treading in the steps already marked, I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation" (Shelley 42).

This quote shows Frankenstein’s passion and determination to making new discoveries, by challenging society’s morals, beliefs, etc. He is willing to wander into the mysterious branch of science never dealt with before, and search beyond what man already knows about biomechanics. He wants to push the limitations of life and mortality. Victor seems to be driven by his uncontrollable passion, and by stating “exclaimed the soul…”, it seems to be as if he doesn’t simply wants to do it, he believes that’s his life purpose. Victor Frankenstein wishes to uncover the secrets of life only God would know. He seems to be determined to become the modern God, by discovering and expanding his knowledge on life and death. By stating, “..and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation”, it seems as if he wants to discover how we were actually created. He might know every scientific fact about human creation, but he wants to know more, he wants to dig deeper into the creation of the human life. Victor Frankenstein seems to be determined to challenge society’s perspective of “the world as we know it”

11/5/2017 08:00:49 am

His fascination with the creation of life is very intriguing. It is a prime example of foreshadowing because this side of wanting to know how life is created shows that deep down he also wants to create life. It is interesting as well that he is using the pseudosciences to accomplish his goal rather than the actual, proven scientific method, but he is also a brilliant but different person, so it would make sense that he would follow a different path from the greats to achieve similar fame or infamy.

11/4/2017 11:25:33 am

"Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow” (Shelley 47).

In Chapter 4, Victor explains how he becomes so obsessed with his scientific experimentation that he begins to neglect all other aspects of his life. He immerses himself into his work, and after two years of hard continual research and experimentation, he discovers the secret to creating life, becoming capable of ‘bestowing animation upon lifeless matter’. This is what he refers to in the quote above, where he advises people to learn from his example. He isn't suggesting that people should stop attempting to acquire knowledge; instead, he is making a point of how in some cases, knowledge can do more harm than good (almost reinforcing the “innocence is bliss” concept). In the second part of the quote, Victory essentially suggests that those who attempt to perform feats too far out of their capability range are usually unsuccessful. The reference to a person’s native town indicates that in Victor’s opinion, a person should recognize and accept their own limitations instead of seeking to achieve things that are too demanding, dangerous, or unlikely to be accomplished successfully. I believe that this quote is one that best typifies the action of these chapters because it presents a problem that will likely come up and be explained later in the story--Victor gives advice of not trying to achieve unreasonable tasks based on his own mistakes, yet the reader is not fully aware of the mistakes which took place in his experimentation.

11/5/2017 09:58:33 pm

"My attention was fixed upon every object the most insupportable to the delicacy of the human feelings. I saw how the fine form of man was degraded and wasted; I beheld the corruption of death succeed to the blooming check of life; I paused, examining and analyzing all minutiae of causation, as exemplified in the change from life to death, and death to life." -(Shelley 46)

I feel that this moment in chapter 4 was important because Frankenstein was given his fan experience of handling with the dead and how it infatuated him. "The astonishment which I had first experienced on his discovery soon gave place to delight and rapture." -(Shelley 47) He claimed the discovery to be so overwhelming and realized that he could now start the creation of a creature with the knowledge he just now obtained. He now feels that he has power to create a new species. But little does he know that this would be a start of something chaotic.

11/5/2017 11:38:56 pm

This theme you noted of how too much of something can hurt rather than help in the long run also correlates with Frankenstein and his childhood as a whole, especially considering his relationship with his sister/how he goes about fulfilling his quest to uncover the secrets of the world he lives in. He loves his sister almost to a fault, considering that he cares for her beyond just a sibling (his words), which in that time was considered extremely taboo. Not to mention his love for discovering the answers to secrets driving him to read from grandiose tales spun from the imaginations of long-dead philosophers. He doesn't care at all about the ethics that come with creating new life, even going as far as to creating an abomination to satisfy his thirst for knowledge. This all definitely speaks volumes about his character, and the type of attitude his creation may be exposed to later in the book.

11/26/2017 12:44:01 pm

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